To pet owners, pet emergencies can be scary. They have no idea what to do because they’ve never faced this sort of situation before. This blog post will help pet owners understand how to handle a pet emergency in their home and explore the important key points for creating a pet emergency plan you can have faith in.
We hope that you never need this plan, but if you do you can be confident that you’ll be able to handle it well.
Contents:
What Is a Pet Emergency?
A pet emergency is a pet health circumstance that requires immediate attention. Sometimes pet emergencies can be resolved fairly quickly, if you treat them early. Other pet emergencies will require more time and money to resolve them. It’s important for pet owners to be aware of what kind of pet emergencies they might face as well as the warning signs that indicate pet immediate medical care is required.
Pet emergency situations can vary from pet to pet, but there are certain pet health problems that are common among pet owners.
Some of the most common pet emergencies could include your pet swallowing something harmful, like broken glass or other sharp objects, eating something poisonous or harmful to their body like chocolate or onion, becoming infected by another pet or animal through biting or close contact, or being injected with poison from roaming into rugged nature.
Our pets can also get hurt in car crashes, slips and falls on hard floors and injure themselves while playing . These pet injuries can range from mild to extremely serious. Some pet emergency situations require immediate veterinary care if they are not resolved quickly enough. Other minor pet emergencies will resolve themselves over time if proper care is given to them quickly enough.
Know The Basics Of A Pet Emergency
Wounds and bleeding:
Wounds can be so diverse, from sharp cuts to jagged lacerations or punctures. If your pet is bleeding:
- Apply pressure to the wound.
- Add a sterilized gauze to the wound and bandage tight. You may need to apply a second gauze if the wound is bad and bleeding is seeping through.
- You may need to bandage the entire leg if it’s a deep cut on their legs.
- Get them to an emergency veterinarian hospital as soon as possible.
Choking:
Severe choking can occur when an object blocks the animal’s windpipe, and symptoms of this condition include pawing at their mouth or choke sounds. To make sure your pet does not injure himself further on any items in his vicinity during a fit, it is important to move anything that may be dangerous for him out of reach before he has another one!
If the animal is conscious, open their mouth and try to remove any object that’s lodged in there. If they’re unable to breathe on their own because of an obstruction, administer artificial respiration until help arrives.
Poisoning:
In the event that your pet has been poisoned, there are many signs to watch out for. These include vomiting, twitching and convulsions just to name a few. In order to best help your animal get through this emergency as quickly and safely as possible it is important that you call an expert ASAP!
Unfortunately poisoning is common in pets with long lists of culprits like insecticides, medications, poisonous bait traps, paint, etc. It’s always best to keep these things well out of reach when your pet is around.
Assess Vital Signs Of Your Pet During An Emergency
First things vets look at is vital signs such as temperature, respiratory rate and pulse when determining whether treatment can begin immediately or if pet needs to be stabilized first.
There are pet emergency kits that will allow you to measure your pet’s vital signs yourself at home without having to rush pet to the vet or other animal care facility.
These pet emergency kits can tell you whether your pet is running a fever, has increased respiratory rate and/or heart rate which could indicate pet in pain or very worried about something.
Our pets do not have words to tell pet owners when it’s in pain, so keep a keen eye on how their body reacts. It will speak for them.
For example, if they vomit green bile then appropriate treatment must be given quickly before deadly bacteria sets in causing perforated stomach or intestine which can lead to infection spread through blood stream rapidly affecting vital organs within the body causing serious injury and can sometimes be fatal.
Have a Pet Emergency Plan in Place
Every pet owner should have these things in case of pet emergency:
- pet first aid kit,
- pet first aid guidebook/manual
- some basic first aid training
- contact details of local veterinarian hospitals
Ensure your pet first aid kit has some basic supplies such as tweezers for removing ticks, bandages, gauzes and a muzzle (to prevent pets from biting people when they are under stress).
We recommend taking this Pet First Aid online course as a minimum.
How To Determine a Pet Emergency
Before pet owners can know what to do during a pet emergency, they need to be able to determine what happened. Some pet emergencies are naturally sudden and unexpected while others may develop slowly over time until it is too late for pet owners to save their pet.
What you need to do first is snap a mental picture of what you are seeing. Take note of your pet’s breathing, balance, movements, how its body looks, and any sounds it may be making. Also record anything that happened before the emergency to help identify what might have caused it. This will help you decide on what emergency care your pet needs right away so you can act fast and avoid further damage or reduce pain and suffering for their pet.
Who To Call When A Pet Emergency Occurs
If your pet is injured or sick and you need to get help, who do you call? Many pet owners are unsure about who they should contact in an emergency situation. Below, we’ve listed some pet emergency phone numbers for pet owners to keep on hand.
The FDA recommends calling your local vet immediately.
Another good option is to contact one of the two animal poison control centers in the U.S. These centers charge a fee for their services, but their veterinarians can immediately give you expert veterinary advice.
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: 1-888-426-4435
Pet Poison Helpline: 1-855-764-7661
It’s important to note that 911 is reserved for human emergencies. It is not advised for you to call 911 if your pet is having an emergency unless you personally also need help.
What to Do During a Pet Emergency
Stay Calm, Don’t Panic
It’s so hard to stay calm when you’re panicking. Breathing exercises can help reduce the stress of an emergency situation, and they’ll keep you from becoming overwhelmed by adrenaline or fear.
Provide Comfort
You should always be aware of your pet’s comfort level. If you notice that he/she is uncomfortable, then do what you can to make them more comfortable.
Be Cautious
Always be aware of what’s happening with your pet when there is an emergency. It might seem like they’re fine, but try to look for subtle changes in their behavior that can sometimes indicate pain or discomfort.
Know Basic Pet First Aid
It is important to learn basic pet first aid. This will help you provide immediate support to pets in need, and ensure the best possible care for your companion animals.
Lift Your Pet Carefully
When an emergency occurs, it’s important to keep your pet calm. One way you can do this is by lifting them carefully and keeping a hand on their head at all times.
Restrain Your Pet
It’s important to keep them restrained to prevent further injuries and it may even save their life.
Call Your Veterinarian
If you have an emergency with your pet, it’s important to call the veterinarian. Your vet will be able to assess and treat your pet effectively for their injuries or illness. They may even be able to help you handle the situation better before you get to see them.
Tips for the Pet Emergency Room
When you get to the emergency room you should bring pet insurance information, pet immunization and medical records, current pet medication list (if any), pet treatment log book for pet doctor visits, pet food name and brand, pet grooming schedule/information and photos of their pet.
In pet hospitals, in most cases you will need to stay outside the emergency room while staff and the veterinarians handle your pets injuries or illnesses. You can only go inside the pet ER if needed by the staff for assistance or comfort.
Your local pet hospital will guide you through the process if you ever need it.
How To Pay
When a pet emergency happens there will be costs involved and this is how you can pay.
Often your pet insurance will cover emergencies and other incurred costs. However, it’s important to check with your insurance company before an emergency happens.
If you don’t have pet insurance then you will need to pay for pet care out of pocket. This can be expensive and pet owners should take precautions in order to prepare for the financial costs that pet care incurs.
In conclusion, it is important to be prepared for a pet emergency. Know what type of emergencies are common in your area and have an emergency plan that includes who will care for your pets if you are unable to.
You may also be interested in learning from Dr. Nicole Rous at the Holistic Pet First Aid Workshop. Click to learn more. 
We’ve also provided some of our favorite and helpful resources below to help you be prepared!
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